ONEIDA >> On Monday, with less than a week to go before the Friday’s car-push event at the Wilber-Duck Mile, a competitive spirit was starting to brew.

So far, there are allegedly four teams which will face off in the car push - the Oneida Fire Department, Oneida City Police, Oneida Common Council and Madison County Special Operations Unit (commonly called the SWAT team).

The prize is a trophy and bragging rights for the next year, said Frank Duck III, co-owner of Wilber-Duck Chevrolet.

As the week began, the teams were starting to form.

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“We have some signed up and hope to have enough for a team. With the shift schedules and some officers working secondary jobs or coaching youth sports, it can be difficult to get enough to attend to participate,” said Oneida City Police Chief David Meeker.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to inquiries as to whether they would field a team; however, Duck said that he heard that the Special Operations Unit would be doing so.

Monday morning, Oneida City mayor Max Smith said that even though there was not yet a team formed, the city would “absolutely be participating” in the car push this year.

City Councilor Brahim Zogby, also said he would be there. “It’s a great event for a great cause,” he added.

“Sometimes a team doesn’t form until the last minute,” noted Oneida City Fire Chief Kevin Salerno.

Some who will participate in the car push, are already talking strategy.

A number of members of the Oneida City Fire Department, who have won four out of the last five car push races when pitted against the Oneida City Police, suggested that maybe they should dangle a doughnut in front of the police officers’ vehicle in order to entice them to try harder.

Salerno said the police might not have the physical strength to push the car, and that their new fitness room in the basement of the Public Safety Building might not be working out so well

The firefighters offered some concessions to even out the competition. “To make the push a little more fair, I’ll have my guys push a fire truck instead of a car,” Salerno said, adding that his department would still win over the city police.

Further, Salerno said that Firefighter Charles Kazlauskas, who is currently on light duty because of a broken ankle, could push the car all by himself, and still beat the Oneida Police Department.

The car push is part of the 15th annual Wilber-Duck Mile, a charity event whose proceeds will benefit the FitKids of Madison County - a fitness and nutrition program put out by Oneida Healthcare and Oneida Family Y designed to help combat childhood obesity in Madison County - and the United Way of Greater Oneida.

The push begins at 6:45 p.m. at the intersection of Main Street and Farrier Avenue, and move toward the dealership.

There will also be live entertainment and free food courtesy The Big Cheese and Napolean Cafe.

The one-mile foot race around will step off a little after 6:45 p.m. at Wilber-Duck Chevrolet at the dealership, located at 116 Broad St. in Oneida.